Cotton-gin



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1,

P. H. RICHARDS.

COTTON GIN.

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(NO Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. H. RIGHARDS.

COTTON GIN. No. 305,232. Patented Sept. 16, 1884.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet s.

F. H. RICHARDS.

COTTON GIN.

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FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, AFSIGNOR TO THE PRATT SKXVHITNEST COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

COTTON-GIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,232, dated September 16, 1884. V

' Application filed December 31, 1883. (X model.)

To (l/ZZ whom it may concern- Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Cotton-Gins,

' of which the following is a specification, refper part of the machine, the feed-board being removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partially in section. Fig. at is arear elevation, also partially in section. Fig. 5 is a vertical section in line 3 y of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a diagram drawn in projection from Fig. 4, showing the arrangement of certain gearing of the machine.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu ghout the several views.

The frame of the machine, A, is made preferably of a box-shaped form, with suitable projections, bearings, 850., for carrying the several details of the machine. The principal driving-shaft S has its bearing formed in the walls of the frame, and is driven by means of a band (not shown) upon a pulley, P, which is rigidly fixed to said shaft. A second driving-shaft, S has bearings formed in the projectionsB B, and receives motion from shaft S by means'of gears G and G. A frictionroll, R, of the usual description is secured upon ashaft, S", which is supported in sliding bearings Bone at each end thereofand receives motion from shaft S in the direction of the arrow by means of the screw-gears Cr and G". The sliding bearings B are pressed for ward by means of springs 3', which are compressed by screws 4 or by a weighted lever. A fourth shaft, S, is supported in a position vertical to shaft S by projecting bearings 13', and carries upon its upper end a driving band wheel, 1"", and receives motion from shaft S taclc for final removal.

by means of any suitable gearingas, for instance, the bevel-wheels G and G.

Upon the frame A, opposite to shaft S, (see Fig. 1,) a swinging piece, B is pivotally secured, for carrying the stud S, upon which the idler band-wheel P is adapted to revolve freely. This swinging piece B is adapted to swing upon a pivot-screw, 14, so as to move the stud S away from shaft S by means of screw B. These two band-wheels P and P, which have flanges on the lower side of their rims for holding it up, are adapted to carry a continuous seedclearer,which may be an endless band or a series of parts jointedly connected to form such a continuous clearer. One form of the latter construction is shown at C, I Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5, in which the said parts are made to form a chain of rectangular cross-see tion. Clearer-points C are attached to one side thereof at suitable intervals, and may be readily renewed when worn out. A doctorknife, K, and a gnard-plate, C'-, (see Fig. 5,)

are suitably flxed in the machine relative to each other and to roll R, and the clearer C is adapted to run in a space formed between 7 them, preferably in the guard-plate. This guard-plate is constructed to reach over and above the clearer C and come close-to theside of the clearer-points C, to properly support them to the roll R, and prevent the mass of cotton lint from forcing said points sofar away from said roll as to render them inoperative. The clearer-points C, before mentioned, are

so made or adjusted as to project somewhat above the upper edge of the knife Ksay about onefourth of an inch in ordinary practice. The rotation ofthe band-wheels causes the clearer-points to pass along in front of the roll R and to beat off the seeds from the lint. The usual feed-board, H, is provided to en- 0 able the operator to properly feed the seedcotton to the frictiouroll R, and it has the usual grating, 7, through which the ginned seed may fall upon the seed-carrier and be do livered out of the machine. Below the band- 9 5 wheels,and preferably directly underthe grating of the feed-board, is placed asuitable seedcarrier, C, to catch the falling seed and convey it out of the machinebox or other recep- IOO The principal drivingshaft S, referred to in the earlier part of this specification, it will be observed carries a revolving doffer, which consists of a series of brushes, B, for removing the cotton fiber from the frictionroll, and

which, by their rapid rotation, act to reduce the cotton from the matted form in which it leaves the roll to a condition more light and open. The bars of these brushes, being flat and arranged radially to the driving-shaft, act up on the air contained in the bruslrspace upon the principle of a fan-blower, thereby causing an air-blast to blow the cotton off from the brushes and onto the condenser-cylinder R The rotation of this brush also creates, as will be obvious from the drawings, a eu rrent of air from within the condenser through openings 20 into the hollow side of the frame, and out of the latter through openings 21 to the space within the series of brushes. This current of air assists in the formation of the loose cotton iiber into a bat upon the said cylinder. Back of the condenser are placed two rollers, R and 1t", of which the former has a series of leather flaps of the usual description, substantially as shown, for condensing the bat of cotton iiber, and which is driven from shaft S in a reverse direction to the condenser R by means of pulleys P and l and belt 0 The lower roller, R, is driven from shaft of roller It by means of gears G and G in the same direction as the said condenser-cylinder, and is located close to the latter. The condensershaft S is driven from roller R by means of gears G G,

and G of which the first ison roller R. The second is an intermediate gear, and the last is fixed on shaft S The arrangement of this gearing is shown best by the diagram in Fig. 6, which is drawn in projection from Fig. 4. The purpose of the roller R" is to turn the condensed bat-cotton away from the condenser-cylinder and guide the same out of the machine.

In order to deliver the bat into any suitable receptacle, as basket M, the roller R is provided with an andless delivery-belt, 0*, the outer end of which is adjustably supported by means of idler-roller It, swivelbearings (not shown) in the forked-adjusting rods 11, and braces 10, which are pivotally secured at 12 to the frame of the machine. A cover, V, is provided to inclose the bruslrspace and prevent the lint from being blown away by the air-currents from'thc brushes.

The operation of my imp rovcd roller cottongin is as follows: Power is applied to the machine by means of a band upon pulley P, thereby causing the drivingshaft S to revolve rapidly in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3. By means of the gearing and other mechanism described suitable motion is imparted to the clearer O and roll R, as indicated by the arrows upon those parts in Fi 1, and to the condenser R, rolls It and It, and belt 0 in the direction shown by the arrows in Figs. 3 and 6. The exact relative velocity of these several motions I do not consider essential, but prefer them to approximate those now employed for similar motions in other cottonworking machines.

The several parts of the machine being in proper adjustment, seed-cotton is fed to the friction-roll in the usual manner. This roll draws the lint'down between itself and the doctor-knife, and the seeds are beat off by the rapid blows given them by the clearer-points O, and fall through the grating of the feedboard. The lint, being pulled from the seed, is then carried under the roll R, whipped outby the ra'pidly-revolving brushes, and blown onto the condenser-cylinder, whereit is formed into a bat and carried out of the machine, as hereinbefore mentioned.

The operation of forming and disposing of the bat of cotton lint in my machine is similar to that operation as now performed by the condensers used with saw-gins.

Having thus described my invention, 'I. claim- 1. In a cotton-gin, a suitable ginning mechanism, a condenser mechanism having a per forated cylinder, an air-passage leading from within said cylinder to within a revolving (loffer. and the said revolving doffer, combined and operating substantially as described.

2. In a cotton-gin, in combination, a friction-roll and a doctor-knife, flanged bandwheels P P, the seed-clearer band 0, having points 0 upon one side thereof, and guardplate 0 adapted to support said points to said roll and having a channel for inclosing said seed-clearer band, substantially as de scribed.

FRANCIS I-I. RICHARDS.

lVitnesses:

G120. A. REYNoLns, O. O. PALMER. 

